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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. stem — to come from
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. last — final
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. squash — the sport
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. last — to go on
  17. squash — to crush
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. last — finally

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com